Temperature controlled storage and display device

ABSTRACT

A tank-less refrigerated display device having an open floor is configured to sit directly upon a floor in a facility such as a supermarket or other food product retail facility. The tank-less and floorless display device includes a front wall section that is substantially free of fans or other electrical components. The front wall section may be readily removable to permit convenient roll-in and roll-out of food product display devices. A cooling coil is mounted in a lower portion of a rear wall. A single set of fans are configured to push air to be chilled through the cooling coil and into a chilled air distribution system. The chilled air distribution system includes a rear wall flue having a vertical profile that is at least partially tapered, and a horizontal top wall flue having a frontal outlet configured to discharge chilled air over an open front in the form of an air curtain.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present Application claims the benefit of priority under 35 U.S.C.§119(e)(1) of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 61/353,100, titled“Temperature Controlled Storage and Display Device” and filed on Jun. 9,2010, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety.

FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the field of temperaturecontrolled display devices (e.g. refrigerated display device, etc.) forstoring and displaying refrigerated objects (e.g. food products, etc.).More specifically, the present invention relates to a refrigerateddisplay device having a “tank-less” and floorless design for use withroll-in or fixed shelving racks, pallet displays, or with fixedshelving. More particularly, the present invention relates to atank-less and floorless refrigerated display device having a front wallsection without fans or other electrical components therein. Moreparticularly still, the present invention relates to a refrigerateddisplay device where the front wall section is readily removable topermit convenient roll-in and roll-out of food product display devices.Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a refrigerateddisplay device having a rear-mounted cooling coil and a single set offans configured to push air to be chilled through the cooling coil andinto a chilled air distribution system. More particularly still, thepresent invention relates to a refrigerated display device where thechilled air distribution system may include an adjustable air diversionscoop configured to divert chilled air through a rear lower baffle, anda vertically tapered rear wall flue configured to distribute chilled airevenly through rear upper baffles, and a horizontal top wall flue havingan adjustable damper and a frontal outlet configured to dischargechilled air over an open front in the form of an air curtain, and/orlouvered openings configured to discharge air vertically downwardly overthe food products. Still more particularly, the present inventionrelates to a movable fixture for use in transporting the tank-less andfloorless temperature controlled display case.

BACKGROUND

It is well known to provide a temperature controlled display device suchas a refrigerator, freezer, refrigerated merchandiser, refrigerateddisplay case, etc., that may be used in commercial, institutional, andresidential applications for storing or displaying refrigerated orfrozen objects. However, these temperature controlled display devicespresent a number of disadvantages, including relatively poor energyefficiency for maintaining a desired temperature within an interiortemperature controlled space of the display device.

Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a tank-less and floorlesstemperature controlled display device that overcomes the disadvantagesof prior devices.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the invention relates to a “tank-less” refrigerateddisplay device having an open floor (i.e. floorless) that is configuredto sit directly upon a floor in a facility such as a supermarket orother food product retail facility. The tank-less and floorless displaydevice includes a front wall section that is substantially free of fansor other electrical components. The front wall section may be readilyremovable to permit convenient roll-in and roll-out of food productdisplay devices. A cooling coil is mounted in a lower portion of a rearwall. A single set of fans are disposed beneath the cooling coil and areconfigured to push air to be chilled through the cooling coil and into achilled air distribution system. The chilled air distribution systemincludes an adjustable air diversion scoop configured to divert chilledair through a rear lower baffle, and a rear wall flue having avertically tapered profile configured to distribute chilled air evenlythrough rear upper baffles, and a horizontal top wall flue having anadjustable damper and a frontal outlet configured to discharge chilledair over an open front in the form of an air curtain.

The front wall section may be a lower front wall section that extendsfrom one side of the display device to an opposite side of the displaydevice. The lower front wall section allows the front of the displaydevice to remain generally open for access to the food products disposedwithin the interior space. The lower front wall section may include ahinge at one side and a latch at the other side to permit the lowerfront wall section to be readily removed, or otherwise opened, to permitroll-in and roll-out of food product display devices. The lower frontwall section may also include suitable vents and flow passages intendedto receive air from the air curtain and direct the received air toward asuction side of the single set of fans.

The upper and lower rear baffles may be generally planar sheet membershaving a series of apertures formed therein to provide an airdistribution pattern. The upper rear baffles are disposed above thelower rear baffle and receive chilled air from the rear wall flue. Theapertures may be in the form of elongated slots. The lower rear baffleis disposed forward of the cooling coil and received a supply of chilledair from the air diverter scoop. The air diverter scoop may have anarcuate cross-section profile and is adjustable so that a greaterportion of the scoop is disposed over the outlet of the cooling coil (todivert more chilled air to the lower rear baffle), or a lesser portionof the scoop is disposed over the outlet of the cooling coil (to divertless chilled air to the lower rear baffle).

The adjustable damper within the horizontal top wall flue extendsubstantially completely across the flue and includes adjacent slidabledamper members, each having a pattern of alternating apertures andobstructions, that may be positioned relative to each other to provide anet flow passage area intended to obtain the desired chilled air flowpressure and distribution characteristics from the chilled airdistribution system to the interior space and to the air curtain.

A polyurethane coated drip pan may be disposed beneath the cooling coiland configured to route condensation from the cooling coil to a floordrain of the facility. The floor drain may be within the interior space,or external to the display device.

The single set of fans may be disposed in the rear wall beneath thecooling coil and operable to force air to be chilled into a bottomportion of the cooling coil. The single set of fans are spacedhorizontally along the rear wall so that each fan corresponds to arespective rear wall flue zone defined by a plurality of substantiallyvertical flue dividers disposed within the rear wall flue.

Another embodiment of the invention relates to a tank-less refrigerateddisplay device having an interior space at least partially defined by atop wall, a rear wall, opposite side walls, and a front having a lowerfront wall beneath an open front portion, and an open floor that isconfigured to placed over a floor in a facility. A cooling coil with anair inlet and an air outlet is disposed in a lower portion of the rearwall. A single set of fans is disposed proximate the rear wall andupstream of the cooling coil to push air to be chilled through thecooling coil and into a chilled air distribution system. The chilled airdistribution system includes a rear wall flue that distributes chilledair to the interior space through a first series of apertures in therear wall, and a top wall flue that distributes chilled air downwardlyover the interior space through a second series of apertures. A frontaloutlet discharges chilled air over the open front portion in the form ofan air curtain.

Yet another embodiment of the invention relates to a tank-lessrefrigerated display device having an interior space at least partiallydefined by a top wall, a rear wall, opposite side walls, and a fronthaving a lower front wall beneath an open front portion, and an openfloor that is configured to placed over a floor in a facility. A coolingcoil with an air inlet and an air outlet is disposed in a lower portionof the rear wall. A single set of fans is disposed proximate the rearwall and upstream of the cooling coil to push air to be chilled throughthe cooling coil and into a chilled air distribution system. The chilledair distribution system has a rear wall flue to distribute chilled airto the interior space through a first series of apertures, and a topwall flue configured to distribute chilled air at least partially overthe interior space through a second series of apertures. A frontaloutlet discharges chilled air over the open front portion in the form ofan air curtain. An elongated substantially horizontal receptacle isdisposed on each of the opposite side walls, and a movable fixture has aplatform that removably engages the receptacles.

Still another embodiment of the invention relates to a tank-lessrefrigerated display device having an interior space at least partiallydefined by a top wall, a rear wall, opposite side walls, and a fronthaving a lower front wall beneath an open front portion, and an openfloor that is configured to placed over a floor in a facility. A coolingcoil has an air inlet and an air outlet, and is disposed in a lowerportion of the rear wall. A single set of fans disposed proximate therear wall and upstream of the cooling coil push air to be chilledthrough the cooling coil and into a chilled air distribution system. Thechilled air distribution system includes a rear wall flue thatdistributes chilled air to the interior space through a first series ofapertures disposed in the rear wall, and a top wall flue thatdistributes chilled air at least partially over the interior spacethrough a second series of apertures, and a frontal outlet thatdischarges chilled air over the open front portion in the form of an aircurtain. An elongated substantially horizontal receptacle is disposed oneach of the opposite side walls, and a movable fixture has a platformthat removably engages the receptacles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic image of a front perspective view of a fullyassembled tank-less and floorless temperature controlled display devicewith a lower front wall free of fans and other electrical componentsaccording to a first exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a schematic image of a front perspective view of a partiallydisassembled tank-less and floorless temperature controlled displaydevice including a rear wall with lower (e.g. bottom) rear mountedcooling coil and drip pan connected to a drain, according to theembodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a schematic image of an inside top perspective view of apartially disassembled lower rear wall of a tank-less and floorlesstemperature controlled display device having a single set of fansdisposed at an elevation beneath the cooling coil and aligned so thateach fan corresponds to a separate rear wall flue zone defined by rearwall flue dividers, according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a schematic image of another inside top perspective view of apartially disassembled lower rear wall of a tank-less and floorlesstemperature controlled display device including an air diverter scoopconfigured to divert chilled air from a top outlet of the cooling coilto the lower rear baffle, according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a schematic image of an inside perspective view of a partiallydisassembled rear wall of a tank-less and floorless temperaturecontrolled display device, including a vertical rear wall flue with(partially) tapered flue zones corresponding to the upper rear baffles(not shown), according to the embodiment of FIG. 1.

FIG. 6 is a schematic image of an inside perspective view of a top wallflue having an adjustable damper of a tank-less and floorlesstemperature controlled display device according to the embodiment ofFIG. 1.

FIG. 7 is a schematic image of a front perspective view of a fullyassembled tank-less and floorless temperature controlled display devicewith a roll-out lower front wall free of fans and other electricalcomponents according to a second exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 8 is a schematic image of a front perspective view of a partiallydisassembled tank-less and floorless temperature controlled displaydevice including a rear wall with lower (e.g. bottom) rear mountedcooling coil and drip pan connected to an external drain, according tothe embodiment of FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a schematic image of an inside top perspective view of apartially disassembled lower rear wall of a tank-less and floorlesstemperature controlled display device having a single set ofupwardly-angled fans disposed at an elevation beneath the cooling coil,according to the embodiment of FIG. 7.

FIG. 10 is a schematic image of an inside perspective view of apartially disassembled rear wall of a tank-less and floorlesstemperature controlled display device, including a vertical rear wallflue with (partially) tapered flue zones, according to the embodiment ofFIG. 7.

FIG. 11 is a schematic image of a perspective view of one embodiment ofa movable fixture for transporting and installing a tank-less andfloorless temperature controlled display case, according to theembodiments of FIGS. 1 and 7.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, a tank-less and floorless refrigerated displaydevice 10 is shown according to a first exemplary embodiment. Thedisplay device 10 includes a substantially open bottom (i.e. floorless),a rear wall 18, a partial front wall 12 (i.e. lower front wall)providing an open front portion 14, a top wall 16, and opposite sidewalls 20, which together define a temperature controlled interior spacefor the storage and display of refrigerated objects (e.g. food products,etc.). The front of the top wall 16 includes a chilled air outletdischarge 24 to discharge a flow of chilled air across the open frontportion 14 in the form of an air curtain. The lower front wall 12includes a series of apertures configured to receive at least a portionof the air from the air curtain and includes a passage configured todirect the air along the bottom of the interior space toward a suctionside of the single set of fans. The display device 10 may also include aretractable thermal barrier 22 extendable across the open front portion14 (e.g. a “night curtain”), product illumination lighting, retractablecasters to facilitate mobility of the display device, among otherfeatures. The lower front wall portion 12 is intended to be readilyremovable, otherwise repositionable, to permit convenient roll-in androll-out of food product display devices 28 (e.g. pallets, movable racksand shelf systems, etc.). According to one embodiment, the lower frontwall portion 12 includes a hinge coupling one side of the lower frontwall to one side wall of the display device, with the other side of thelower front wall releasably latched (or otherwise connected—e.g. in themanner of a door or the like) to the opposite side wall, and may alsoinclude a roller (e.g. caster, etc.) to support the free end of thelower front wall section upon the floor of the facility during openingand closing operations. Alternatively, the lower front wall section maybe hinged at each side and coupled in the middle (e.g. in a double-doormanner, or in a bi-fold manner, etc.). According to a furtheralternative embodiment, the lower front wall portion be may slidableacross the front of the display device, or may be configured todrop-down (e.g. in the manner of a tailgate or the like). All suchvariations are intended to be within the scope of this disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 2, a partially disassembled tank-less and floorlesstemperature controlled display device 10 illustrating the rear wall witha lower (e.g. bottom) rear-mounted cooling coil and drip pan 30 (shownconnected to a drain 32 of the facility), and a top wall 16, and aportion of an air distribution system 40, is shown according to anexemplary embodiment. The rear wall 18 includes cooling coil 42 mountedproximate the bottom of the wall 18 and extending substantially from oneside of the display device to the opposite side, with a bottom-facingair inlet and a top-facing air outlet. A substantially vertical rearwall flue 44 is disposed above the cooling coil 42 and is separated intorear wall flue zones by rear wall flue dividers 46. A drip pan 30 (e.g.polyurethane coated, etc.) is disposed beneath the cooling coil 42 andis configured to capture condensate, or ice melt during defrostoperations, etc., and divert such liquids to a drain 32 of the facility,which may be within the interior space or external of the displaydevice. The top wall 16 includes a substantially horizontal top wallflue 60 that communicates with the rear wall flue 44 and extends fromthe rear wall 18 to the air outlet 22 at front of the display device 10.The rear wall flue 44 and the top wall flue 60 make up two main passagesof the air flow distribution system 40 for delivering chilled air fromthe cooling coil 42 to the interior space and to the air curtain. Thecooling coil 42 is configured to receive a source of coolant, such as achilled liquid (such as in a “secondary cooling” type refrigerationsystem) or a refrigerant (e.g. in a “direct expansion” type ofrefrigeration system) from either a dedicated (e.g. local,self-contained, distributed, etc.) cooling system or a centralized (e.g.remote, etc.) cooling system (not shown).

Referring to FIG. 3, a partially disassembled lower rear wall of atank-less and floorless temperature controlled display device 10 havinga single set of fans 48 disposed at an elevation beneath the coolingcoil 42 and aligned so that each fan corresponds to a separate rear wallflue zone defined by the rear wall flue dividers 46, is shown accordingto an exemplary embodiment. The single set of fans 48 are shown (by wayof example) to be axial flow fans configured to draw a suction from thelower portion of the interior space adjacent the floor of the facilityand to force (e.g. push, etc.) the air to be chilled into the inlet ofthe cooling coil 42 and through the cooling coil 42 so that chilled airis discharged at the outlet of the cooling coil 42. The single set offans 48 is intended to overcome one of the disadvantages of conventionaldisplay devices having multiple sets of fans, in which the multiple setsof fans tend to work against each other and decrease the efficiency ofthe display device. According to the illustrated embodiment, the singleset of fans 48 are advantageously the only fans provided in the displaydevice 10 and are disposed in the rear wall 18 beneath the cooling coil42 and are not disposed within a front wall portion of the displaydevice.

Referring to FIG. 4, a partially disassembled lower rear wall of atank-less and floorless temperature controlled display device includingan air diverter scoop 50 configured to divert chilled air from a topoutlet of the cooling coil 42 to a lower rear baffle 52, is shownaccording to an exemplary embodiment. The lower rear baffle 52 is shownby way of example to comprise generally planar sheet members (e.g. sheetmetal, etc.) having a series of apertures 54 formed therein to providean air distribution pattern for distributing chilled air to the lowerportion of the interior space. The apertures are shown in the form ofelongated slots, but may have any shape, size, pattern and spacingintended to provide desired air distribution characteristics for aparticular application or type of product display device to be storedwithin the interior space. The lower rear baffle 52 is shown disposedforward of the cooling coil 42 and is configured to receive a supply ofchilled air that is diverted downward from the cooling coil outlet bythe air diverter scoop 50. The air diverter scoop 50 may have an arcuatecross-section profile, and having a smooth or faceted surface, and isadjustable (e.g. horizontally forward and rearward) so that a greaterportion of the scoop 50 may be disposed over the outlet of the coolingcoil 42 (to divert more chilled air to the lower rear baffle), or alesser portion of the scoop 50 may be disposed over the outlet of thecooling coil 42 (to divert less chilled air to the lower rear baffle).

Referring to FIG. 5, a partially disassembled rear wall of a tank-lessand floorless temperature controlled display device, including avertical rear wall flue 44 with partially tapered flue zonescorresponding to upper rear baffles 56 is shown, according to anexemplary embodiment. The rear wall flue 44 is shown to extendvertically from the cooling coil 42 outlet to the top wall 16 of thedisplay device, where it joins and communicates with the top wall flue60. The rear wall flue 44 is shown to include a vertically taperedportion that results in a progressively decreasing flow area aselevation above the coil increases. The rear wall flue 44 may bepartially tapered (as shown in FIG. 5), or may be completely tapered(not shown). The height and angle of the taper are intended to beselected to provide a substantially uniform distribution of chilled airthrough the apertures in the upper rear baffles (not shown) so that thedistribution of chilled air to the interior space is substantiallyuniform. According to other embodiments where the cooling load in oneportion of the interior space is intended to be greater than another,the taper and/or pattern/size/shape/spacing of apertures in the upperrear baffles or lower rear baffles may be changed or tuned to providethe desired cooling profile within the interior space.

Referring to FIG. 6, a top wall flue 60 having an adjustable damper 62of a tank-less and floorless temperature controlled display device isshown according to an exemplary embodiment. The adjustable damper 62within the horizontal top wall flue 60 extends substantially completelyacross the top wall flue 60 and includes adjacent slidable dampermembers, each having a pattern of alternating apertures andobstructions, that may be positioned relative to each other to provide anet flow passage area from a maximum (with all apertures in each memberaligned) and a minimum (with all apertures in one member aligned withobstruction in the other member). The damper position is selectivelyadjustable and is intended to help balance the air distribution system,along with the air diverter scoop, to obtain the desired chilled airflow pressure and distribution characteristics from the chilled airdistribution system to the interior space and to the air curtain.

Referring to FIG. 7, a tank-less and floorless refrigerated displaydevice 110 is shown according to a second exemplary embodiment. Thedisplay device 110 includes a substantially open bottom (i.e.floorless), a rear wall 118, a roll-out, partial front wall 112 (i.e.lower front wall) providing an open front portion 114, a top wall 116,and opposite side walls 120, which together define a temperaturecontrolled interior space for the storage and display of refrigeratedobjects (e.g. food products, etc.). The front of the top wall 116includes a chilled air outlet discharge 124 to discharge a flow ofchilled air across the open front portion 114 in the form of an aircurtain. The roll-out, lower front wall 112 includes a series ofapertures configured to receive at least a portion of the air from theair curtain and includes a passage configured to direct the air alongthe bottom of the interior space toward a suction side of the single setof fans. The lower front wall portion 112 is intended to be readilyremovable, or otherwise repositionable, to permit convenient roll-in androll-out of food product display devices 128 (e.g. pallets, carts, boxesmovable racks and shelf systems, etc.). Roll-out lower front wall 112may include mobility features to facilitate easy removal so that thefood product display devices 128 can be easily moved into and out of thetemperature controlled space. For example, the mobility features mayinclude rollers, wheels, castors or the like. Also, roll-out lower frontwall 112 may include quick-disconnect features to permit easy and securecoupling and removal of the lower front wall 112 from the case 110.According to one embodiment, the quick disconnect features includelatches 113, such as an over-center type latch, buckle, or othersuitable connecting device. The display device 110 may also include aretractable thermal barrier 122 extendable across the open front portion114 (e.g. a “night curtain”), product illumination lighting, among otherfeatures. All such variations are intended to be within the scope ofthis disclosure.

Referring to FIG. 8, a partially disassembled tank-less and floorlesstemperature controlled display device 110 illustrating the rear wallwith a lower (e.g. bottom) rear-mounted cooling coil and drip pan 130(shown connected to a drain 132 of the facility located external to thedisplay device), and a top wall 116, and a portion of an airdistribution system 140, is shown according to an exemplary embodiment.The rear wall 118 includes cooling coil 142 mounted proximate the bottomof the wall 118 and extending substantially from one side of the displaydevice to the opposite side, with a bottom-facing air inlet and atop-facing air outlet. A substantially vertical rear wall flue 144 isdisposed above the cooling coil 142 and includes a rear wall flue withflue zones defined generally between rear wall supports 146. The rearwall supports 146 include openings formed therein that permit exchangeof air between the flue zones to promote mixing of air discharged fromthe cooling coil. The openings in supports 146 may be sized and shapedto permit a desired amount of mixing of air flow between the zones. Adrip pan 130 (e.g. polyurethane coated, etc.) is disposed beneath thecooling coil 142 and is configured to capture condensate, or ice meltduring defrost operations, etc., and divert such liquids to a drain 132of the facility, which is shown to be external to the display device.

Referring further to FIG. 8, the top wall 116 includes a substantiallyhorizontal top wall flue 160 that communicates with the rear wall flue144 and extends from the rear wall 118 to the air outlet 122 at front ofthe display device 110. The rear wall flue 144 and the top wall flue 160make up two main passages of the air flow distribution system 140 fordelivering chilled air from the cooling coil 142 to the interior spaceand to the air curtain. The cooling coil 142 is configured to receive asource of coolant, such as a chilled liquid (such as in a “secondarycooling” type refrigeration system) or a refrigerant (e.g. in a “directexpansion” type of refrigeration system) from either a dedicated (e.g.local, self-contained, distributed, etc.) cooling system or acentralized (e.g. remote, etc.) cooling system (not shown). Top wall 116is shown to include a plurality of apertures 162 (e.g. “louvered hits,”slots, nozzles, etc.) disposed strategically throughout an interiorpanel of top wall 116 and configured to discharge cooled air from topwall flue 160 in a generally vertically-downward manner over theinterior space (e.g. in the manner of a “rainforest shower” or thelike). The apertures may be sized and arranged in a variety of patternsto provide a cooled desired air flow distribution for a particularapplication. Display device 110 may also include a panel 143 (such as aclear Plexiglas panel or the like) coupled to top wall 116 and disposedsubstantially between the air curtain discharge 124 and the aperturedinterior panel of top wall 116 to reduce mixing and turbulence betweenthe front air curtain and the vertically-downward flow of cooled airfrom apertures 162.

Referring to FIG. 9, a partially disassembled lower rear wall of atank-less and floorless temperature controlled display device 110 havinga single set of fans 148 disposed at an elevation beneath the coolingcoil 142 and disposed in an angularly upward-facing manner so that eachfan directs a flow of air with a vertical component into the coolingcoil 142. The single set of fans 148 are shown (by way of example) to beaxial flow fans configured to draw a suction from the lower portion ofthe interior space adjacent the floor of the facility and to force (e.g.push, etc.) the air to be chilled angularly upward into the inlet of thecooling coil 142 and through the cooling coil 142 so that chilled air isdischarged at the outlet of the cooling coil 142. The single set of fans148 is intended to overcome one of the disadvantages of conventionaldisplay devices having multiple sets of fans, in which the multiple setsof fans tend to work against each other and decrease the efficiency ofthe display device. According to the illustrated embodiment, the singleset of fans 148 are advantageously the only fans provided in the displaydevice 110 and are disposed in the rear wall 118 beneath the coolingcoil 142 and are not disposed within a front wall portion of the displaydevice.

Referring further to FIG. 9, a lower rear baffle 152 is shown disposedinwardly (i.e. toward the interior space) and formed from generallyplanar sheet members (e.g. sheet metal, etc.) having a series ofapertures 154 formed therein to provide an air distribution pattern fordistributing chilled air to the lower portion of the interior space. Theapertures are shown in the form of elongated slots, but may have anyshape, size, pattern and spacing intended to provide desired airdistribution characteristics for a particular application or type ofproduct display device to be stored within the interior space. The lowerrear baffle 152 is shown disposed inward and forward of the cooling coil142 and is configured to receive a supply of chilled air from the rearwall flue.

Referring to FIG. 10, a partially disassembled rear wall of a tank-lessand floorless temperature controlled display device, including avertical rear wall flue 144 with partially tapered flue zones is shown,according to an exemplary embodiment. The rear wall flue 144 is shown toextend vertically from the cooling coil 142 outlet to the top wall 116of the display device, where it joins and communicates with the top wallflue 160. The rear wall flue 144 is shown to include a verticallytapered portion that results in a decreasing flow area as elevationabove the coil increases. The rear wall flue 144 may be partiallytapered (as shown in FIG. 10), or may be completely tapered (not shown).The height and angle of the taper are intended to be selected to providea substantially uniform distribution of chilled air through theapertures in the upper rear baffles (not shown) so that the distributionof chilled air to the interior space is substantially uniform. Accordingto other embodiments where the cooling load in one portion of theinterior space is intended to be greater than another, the taper and/orpattern/size/shape/spacing of apertures in the upper rear baffles orlower rear baffles may be changed or tuned to provide the desiredcooling profile within the interior space.

Referring to FIG. 11, a movable fixture 200 for use in transporting andinstalling a tank-less and floorless temperature controlled display case10, 110 such as those shown in the first and second embodiments herein,is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. Movable fixture 200 isintended to provide a secure and convenient device for transporting thedisplay case from one location to another (e.g. from a manufacturer to acustomer, or from one location to another location within a customer'sfacility, etc.). The movable fixture 200 is shown to include asubstantially horizontal framework comprising a base or platform portion210, and a substantially vertical framework, coupled to the platform210, which serves as an accessory rack 240 for temporarily holding andsecuring accessories or other components of the display device duringtransport. The movable fixture 200 is configured to be conveniently andeasily positioned within, and adapted to, and then removed from, thedisplay case. The platform 210 includes front and back rail members 212,214 that generally span a width of the interior space of the displaycase, and are connected by cross-members 216, 218, and support thevertical rack 240. A block 220, which may serve as a shim or a glidedevice (e.g. a glide block of low friction material, etc.) is disposedon the top lateral end of each of the front and back rail members 212,214. The platform 210 is shown to include several mobility features.First, the front rail 212 and the back rail 214 of the platform includeopenings 222 suitable to receive forks from a forklift truck or thelike. Second, the front rail 212 and the back rail 214 includeattachment points configured to receive a set of removable casters 224.The platform 210 with its various features is configured to engage thedisplay device in a manner that permits the platform to support theweight of the display device during transport, and using either of themobility features. Referring further to FIG. 11, an inside surface ofeach of the side walls 20, 210 of the display device 10, 110 includes areceptacle 226, shown by way of example as a generally horizontal andC-shaped channel (only one wall and one channel is shown for clarity).

According to one embodiment, the movable fixture is adapted to engageand support the display device in the following general manner. Uponremoval of the lower front wall of the display device, the movablefixture 200 is slid, rolled or otherwise moved into the interior spaceso that the opposite lateral ends of the front and back rail members212, 214 are received within the receptacles 226, with the top of thereceptacles 226 supported on the blocks 220. The display device issecured to the platform, e.g. using bolts or clamps or the like to jointhe top of the receptacle 226 to the lateral ends of the front and backmembers 212, 214. The accessories and other components (e.g. racks,shelves, etc.) of the display device can be temporarily secured to thevertical accessory rack 240 for transport. The lower front wall can bereinstalled on the front of the display device. The assembly of thedisplay device and the movable fixture can then be easily moved usingthe first mobility device for lifting by a forklift (e.g. using theopenings 222) and loaded onto a pallet or the like for shipping thedisplay device to a customer location. The assembly of the displaydevice and the movable fixture can also be easily moved using the othermobility feature (such as when the assembly is delivered to a customerfacility), by lifting the assembly from the pallet (or other shippingdevice), coupling the set of casters 224 to the underside of theplatform 210, and wheeling the display device into position. Once thedisplay device is in the desired location, the movable fixture 200 maybe removed from the interior space by holding the display device inposition and pulling the platform 210 from the receptacles 226, the easeof which is enhanced by the low-friction interface between the blocks220 and the top of the receptacles 226. The accessories may then beremoved from the vertical accessory rack 240 and installed in thedisplay device and the lower front wall re-coupled to the front of thedisplay device.

According to any preferred embodiment, a “tank-less” refrigerateddisplay device having an open floor (i.e. is “floorless”) is configuredto sit directly upon a floor in a facility such as a supermarket orother food product retail facility. The tank-less and floorless displaydevice includes a front wall section that is substantially free of fansor other electrical components. The front wall section may be readilyremovable to permit convenient roll-in and roll-out of food productdisplay devices. A cooling coil is mounted in a lower portion of a rearwall. A single set of fans are configured to push air to be chilledthrough the cooling coil and into a chilled air distribution system. Thechilled air distribution system included an adjustable air diversionscoop configured to divert chilled air through a rear lower baffle, anda rear wall flue having a vertical profile that is at least partiallytapered to distribute chilled air more evenly through rear upperbaffles, and a horizontal top wall flue which may have an adjustabledamper, and/or louvered air discharge slots configured to deliver avertical downward flow of chilled air throughout the interior space, anda frontal outlet configured to discharge chilled air over an open frontin the form of an air curtain. The interior of the display case may alsoinclude receptacles configured to temporarily receive a movable fixturefor transport of the display device.

As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,”and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning in harmony withthe common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill in the art towhich the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. It should beunderstood by those of skill in the art who review this disclosure thatthese terms are intended to allow a description of certain featuresdescribed and claimed without restricting the scope of these features tothe precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly, these terms shouldbe interpreted as indicating that insubstantial or inconsequentialmodifications or alterations of the subject matter described and claimedare considered to be within the scope of the invention as recited in theappended claims.

It should be noted that the term “exemplary” as used herein to describevarious embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments arepossible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possibleembodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that suchembodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).

The terms “coupled,” “connected,” and the like as used herein mean thejoining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Suchjoining may be stationary (e.g., permanent) or moveable (e.g., removableor releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members or thetwo members and any additional intermediate members being integrallyformed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two membersor the two members and any additional intermediate members beingattached to one another.

It should be noted that the orientation of various elements may differaccording to other exemplary embodiments, and that such variations areintended to be encompassed by the present disclosure.

It is also important to note that the construction and arrangement ofthe insulated support structure with a direct cooling display platformfor a temperature controlled storage device as shown in the variousexemplary embodiments is illustrative only. Although only a fewembodiments of the present inventions have been described in detail inthis disclosure, those skilled in the art who review this disclosurewill readily appreciate that many modifications are possible (e.g.,variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes and proportions ofthe various elements, values of parameters, mounting arrangements, useof materials, colors, orientations, etc.) without materially departingfrom the novel teachings and advantages of the subject matter disclosedherein. For example, elements shown as integrally formed may beconstructed of multiple parts or elements, the position of elements maybe reversed or otherwise varied, and the nature or number of discreteelements or positions may be altered or varied. Accordingly, all suchmodifications are intended to be included within the scope of thepresent invention as defined in the appended claims. The order orsequence of any process or method steps may be varied or re-sequencedaccording to alternative embodiments. Other substitutions,modifications, changes and omissions may be made in the design,operating conditions and arrangement of the various exemplaryembodiments without departing from the scope of the present inventions.

1. A tank-less refrigerated display device, comprising: an interiorspace defined by a top wall, a rear wall, opposite side walls, and alower front wall section, an open front portion above the lower frontwall section, and an open floor that is configured to be placed over afloor in a facility; the front wall section being substantially free offans and electrical components; a cooling coil having an air inlet andan air outlet, the cooling coil disposed in a lower portion of the rearwall; a single set of fans disposed proximate the rear wall andconfigured to push air to be chilled through the cooling coil and into achilled air distribution system; the chilled air distribution systemincluded an adjustable air diversion scoop ii configured to divertchilled air downward through a rear lower baffle, and a rear wall fluehaving a vertical profile that is at least partially tapered andconfigured to distribute chilled air through rear upper baffles, and asubstantially horizontal top wall flue having an adjustable damper and afrontal outlet configured to discharge chilled air over the open frontportion in the form of an air curtain.
 2. The device of claim 1, whereinthe lower front wall section extends between the opposite side walls. 3.The device of claim 2, wherein the lower front wall section allows thefront of the display device to remain generally open for access to foodproducts disposed within the interior space.
 4. The device of claim 3,wherein the lower front wall section includes at least one of: (i) ahinge at one side and a latch at the other side, (ii) a hinge at bothsides, or (iii) a latch at both sides, to permit the lower front wallsection to be readily removed.
 5. The device of claim 4, wherein thelower front wall section includes vents and flow passages configured toreceive air from the air curtain and direct the received air toward asuction side of the single set of fans.
 6. The device of claim 1,wherein the upper and lower rear baffles comprise generally planar sheetmembers having a series of apertures formed therein to provide an airdistribution pattern.
 7. The device of claim 6, wherein the upper rearbaffles are disposed above the lower rear baffles and receive chilledair from the rear wall flue.
 8. The device of claim 6, wherein theapertures comprise elongated slots.
 9. The device of claim 1, whereinthe lower rear baffle is disposed forward of the cooling coil andreceives a supply of chilled air from the air diversion scoop.
 10. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein the air diversion scoop comprise an arcuatecross-section profile and is adjustable between a first position so thata greater portion of the scoop is disposed over the outlet of thecooling coil to divert more chilled air to the lower rear baffle, and asecond position where a lesser portion of the scoop is disposed over theoutlet of the cooling coil to divert less chilled air to the lower rearbaffle.
 11. The device of claim 1, wherein the adjustable damper withinthe horizontal top wall flue extends substantially completely across theflue and includes adjacent slidable damper members, each having apattern of alternating apertures and obstructions, that may bepositioned relative to each other to provide a net flow passage area.12. The device of claim 1, further comprising a polyurethane coated drippan disposed beneath the cooling coil and configured to routecondensation from the cooling coil to a floor drain of the facility. 13.The device of claim 12, wherein the floor drain is within the interiorspace or outside of the interior space.
 14. The device of claim 1,wherein the single set of fans are disposed in the rear wall beneath thecooling coil and are operable to force air to be chilled into a bottomportion of the cooling coil.
 15. The device of claim 14, wherein thesingle set of fans are spaced horizontally along the rear wall so thateach fan corresponds to a respective rear wall flue zone defined by aplurality of substantially vertical flue dividers disposed within therear wall flue.
 16. A tank-less refrigerated display device, comprising:an interior space at least partially defined by a top wall, a rear wall,opposite side walls, and a front having a lower front wall beneath anopen front portion, and an open floor that is configured to placed overa floor in a facility; a cooling coil having an air inlet and an airoutlet, the cooling coil disposed in a lower portion of the rear wall; asingle set of fans disposed proximate the rear wall and upstream of thecooling coil and configured to push air to be chilled through thecooling coil and into a chilled air distribution system; the chilled airdistribution system including a rear wall flue configured to iidistribute chilled air to the interior space through a first series ofapertures disposed in the rear wall, and a top wall flue configured todistribute chilled air downwardly over the interior space through asecond series of apertures, and a frontal outlet configured to dischargechilled air over the open front portion in the form of an air curtain.17. The device of claim 16, wherein the single set of fans are disposedproximate the rear wall in an angled orientation to force air to bechilled at least partially upward into a bottom portion of the coolingcoil.
 18. The device of claim 16, wherein the lower front wall isremovably coupled to the opposite side walls to facilitate loading foodproducts within the interior space.
 19. The device of claim 18, whereinthe lower front wall is substantially free of electrical components andcouples to the opposite side walls by one or more latches.
 20. Thedevice of claim 16, wherein the opposite side walls comprise elongatedsubstantially horizontal receptacles, and further comprising a movablefixture having a platform portion that removably engages the receptaclesto facilitate transporting the display device.
 21. The device of claim20, wherein the movable fixture further comprises an accessory racksupported by the platform and configured to secure accessories whentransporting the display device.
 22. The device of claim 20, wherein theplatform comprises openings configured to receive a forklift.
 23. Thedevice of claim 20, wherein the platform comprises a set of removablecasters.
 24. The device of claim 20, wherein the platform comprisesglide blocks engagable with the receptacles to provide a low-frictioninterface.
 25. The device of claim 16, further comprising asubstantially clear panel extending from the top wall and disposedbetween the second set of apertures and the frontal outlet.
 26. Atank-less refrigerated display device, comprising: an interior space atleast partially defined by a top wall, a rear wall, opposite side walls,and a front having a lower front wall beneath an open front portion, andan open floor that is configured to placed over a floor in a facility; acooling coil having an air inlet and an air outlet, the cooling coildisposed in a lower portion of the rear wall; a single set of fansdisposed proximate the rear wall and upstream of the cooling coil andconfigured to push air to be chilled through the cooling coil and into achilled air distribution system; the chilled air distribution systemincluding a rear wall flue configured to ii distribute chilled air tothe interior space through a first series of apertures disposed in therear wall, and a top wall flue configured to distribute chilled air atleast partially over the interior space through a second series ofapertures, and a frontal outlet configured to discharge chilled air overthe open front portion in the form of an air curtain; an elongatedsubstantially horizontal receptacle disposed on each of the oppositeside walls; and a movable fixture having a platform that removablyengages the receptacles.
 27. The device of claim 26, wherein the movablefixture further comprises an accessory rack supported by the platformand configured to secure accessories when transporting the displaydevice.
 28. The device of claim 26, wherein the platform comprisesopenings configured to receive a forklift.
 29. The device of claim 26,wherein the platform comprises a set of removable casters.
 30. Thedevice of claim 26, wherein the platform comprises glide blocksengagable with the receptacles to provide a low-friction interface.